You can access Woden HOspital from the north via the path on Yamba Drive (south from Phillip College), from the east by the path up past CIT and via any number of small shared paths via woden and from paths on Yamba Drive south of Hindmarsh Drive (eg opposite O’Malley).

Would I suggest novices or new riders ride on Hindmarsh or Yamba Drive? No of course not, but if anyone can ride to woden, they can get to the hospital safely from there without riding on an 80 kmph road. I've ridden there a zillion times for work and for visiting friends and families.

Not sure what I think about this story....

Mind you, in light of the other serious accident involving another doctor there about 12 months ago....

Having gone OTB on RTW day a few years back when a workmate got blown onto a dodgyroad shoulder here, I can't exactly deny that there'sa potential for danger.

The google view was taken a couple of years ago. Since then, heavy vehicle traffic hasincreased hugely due to opening of a Coles cold storage depot, and a DHL depot. Thereis now a semi-trailer (typically a b-double) every 20 to 30 seconds on the road, throughout the day. The road is barely wide enough for 2 b-doubles to pass, in oppositedirections, and the shoulder is treacherous.

Developers are arguing/being sued over who agreed to pay for the road to be upgraded to suit the traffic levels their developments generate; in the meantime, nobody fixes it.

We have a number of hardy commuters who do battle up this stretch alone a couple of timesa week (or all 5 days in some cases). But there's quite a few more workers on our site who'd commuteif a safer environment were provided.

We demonstrate this by promoting RTW day and getting a larger group of riders to meet at the startof the dangerous road (just off the M7 cycleway). Another colleague then drivesa vehicle behind the group as an escort (lights flashing etc.,.), so everyone can have a relaxed ride up the hill.

That's makes a better positive point than telling everyone its too unsafe for them and giving up.

Cheers

WombatK

Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia

i ride to work at the hospital when I can and I agree somewhat with the sentiment. When you consider the rest of the cycle path network coming from the north, south or west, the area immediately around the hospital is pretty abysmal. I just slow down to walking pace and ride off the road. Makes for a painfully slow last kilometre though.

In saying that, I used to ride my bicycle 7km to school through some WAY hairier sections of Sydney roads, and I started doing that when I was 14

I guess if the idea of RTW day is about encouraging people who wouldn't normally cycle then there is a very valid point. Providing nice shared pathways for less confident cyclists almost all the way to work doesn't really cut it if you have to ride on a narrow footpath or 80km/h road at the end.

I regularly ride to TCH, and while the cycle-friendly infrastructure near and at the hospital leave much to be desired, I suspect Rob has gone a bit over the top here in an effort to prompt further improvements both to the local path/lane system and to the bike/gear storage facilities at TCH (which have improved, but are still sub-optimal).